What are Grandparents’ Rights in Tennessee?

Murfreesboro premier family law firm protects grandparents’ rights

Where one’s ability to maintain a healthy relationship with a grandchild is impeded, there may be remedies for visitation provided under Tennessee law. Grandparents do have rights and the family law attorneys at Kidwell, South, Beasley and Haley are well-versed in these laws and the legal requirements that must be met to enforce them. Grandparents in Murfreesboro and surrounding areas trust us for answers and for taking action to restore relationships.

You can rely on us for an honest initial consultation, through which we can expand on these and other common client questions.

What are the laws designed to protect a grandparent’s relationship with a grandchild?

Under Tennessee law, when a child’s parents oppose visitation, grandparents have the right in certain circumstances to petition the court for a hearing on the issue of visitation. These visitation rights are limited, but when available can help grandparents secure a more meaningful relationship with a grandchild.

Who is considered the grandparent of a child?

The rights given to grandparents under Tennessee law are available to:

A child’s biological grandparent

The spouse of a child’s biological grandparent

A parent of an individual who adopted a child

When can a grandparent seek to enforce his or her rights?

When a child’s parents are married and fit to make decisions on behalf of the child, Tennessee law favors their decision-making authority. The practical impact of this policy is that grandparents’ recourse is very limited when married parents oppose visitation. Rights to a hearing on visitation are stronger when a child’s parents were never married, are no longer married, or one of the parents is missing or deceased. Additionally, a grandparent may petition the court for visitation when the child resided with the grandparent or maintained a significant relationship with the grandparent for a year or more.

There are also laws available for grandparents seeking visitation with a child who has been placed in a foster home, or otherwise removed from parental care.

What does a grandparent need to prove in order to secure visitation rights?

A grandparent seeking visitation rights must show the court that substantial harm to the child would result from denying visitation, and further that visitation with the grandparent is in the child’s best interest. These are legal standards that involve a number of interrelated factors. With significant experience handling grandparents’ rights cases, the attorneys at Kidwell, South, Beasley and Haley know how to make the necessary showings to the court. We advocate tirelessly for our clients to ensure that their grandchildren benefit from a loving and supportive relationship.

How to get started seeking a visitation order with the court

Tennessee law sets forth very specific circumstances under which a grandparent can file a petition for visitation. The first step in the process of seeking to obtain a hearing on visitation is contacting a skilled Murfreesboro family law attorney, in order to assess whether your situation falls within those enumerated in the statutes. Only an experienced attorney can determine whether Tennessee’s grandparents’ rights laws are applicable to your case.

Contact Murfreesboro’s premier grandparents’ rights law firm today

Grandparents in Murfreesboro and across Tennessee rely on the family law firm of Kidwell, South, Beasley and Haley for expert legal counsel and representation. Call today at 615-893-1331 or contact us onlinefor information on how our attorneys can help with your case.